IOWA CITY, Ia. — There was no countdown clock or calendar-marking, but everyone associated with Regina football knew what was coming in Week 4.

After opening with back-to-back drubbings, which produced the Regals’ first 0-2 start in 15 years, the early-season addition immediately injected life into a team always shouldering lofty expectations.

“I’d equate it to having your big brother show up to a street fight,” Regina assistant Alex Kanellis said. “Everybody played better.”

It didn’t take long for Cole White to make an impact. After transfer rules forced him to sit out the first three games following his offseason move from Clear Creek-Amana, the senior defensive end has spent the last few weeks making up for lost time, constantly thundering into opponents' backfields and disrupting plays.

The state’s co-leader in solo sacks a season ago, White already has 18.5 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception in three games this year. As the Regals continue to cruise through their district slate, White’s relentless presence has permeated throughout the entire Regina defense, a unit surrendering just 11.3 points and 185 yards per game since his return.

“I love him,” Regina coach Marv Cook said earlier this season. “He’s a great young man, first and foremost, and a great effort player — a leverage nightmare.

“He’s dynamic enough that he can actually stand up and play in a stand-up linebacker position, can play the two, can play over a guard and wreak havoc in there. And I like him at defensive end. There’s a lot of excitement to watch him play.”

Some recruiting steam has begun to bubble as a result, even though White’s size — he’s listed at 5-foot-11, 225 pounds — has larger schools hesitant. But he’s already picked up a couple Division III and NAIA offers and is on at least one FCS radar.

'When he got out there, our entire defense changed'

White initially joined the Regals last offseason after spending significant time working through the decision-making process with his family on whether to leave CCA. He racked up 15 sacks as a junior and was an All-Iowa elite team selection in helping the Clippers to their best start in program history. But in the end, Regina’s statewide prestige, Kanellis’ offseason weight program and other various factors made the Regals too hard to pass up.

“The atmosphere they have here, especially with having a constant tradition of winning,” White began, “I definitely thought this would be the right place, especially with the lifting coach because he was helping me get stronger and bigger — and that’s preparing me for college, too.

“There were definitely a lot of decisions that I had to make. But in the end, I made the right one, and I’m happy where I am.”

White jumped right into Kanellis’ program, giving Regina’s strength and conditioning coach an early glimpse at the Regals’ shiny new acquisition.

He was wowed instantly.

“I’ve been lucky to get to work with Cole since the wintertime, and I hope that I have helped him develop as much as he’s helped our entire program change the way we practice,” Kanellis said. “He brought so much to the table, just by coming in and showing how to get to work. We’ve always done a good job in the offseason, but to have one extra guy to impress and bring any extra energy was huge.

“There was more competition in the weight room because he’s a big, strong kid. There was better drill work in the summer, and he just jumped right in with those guys. He was one of our guys right away, which is so fun to watch.”

White filled in on scout team until he was eligible, further fueling the palpable buzz surrounding his return. Regina’s 0-2 start only heightened the anticipation.

Against Cedar Rapids Xavier and Solon — in fairness, arguably Class 3A’s top two squads — the Regals yielded 56 total points and nearly 700 combined yards. Heading into Week 3, senior linebacker Ryan Schott was asked specifically what could help turn Regina’s defense around, given that foes comparable to Xavier and Solon is what the Regals will likely face deep into the playoffs.

And Regina has, in part because its district competition is a step below its non-district slate — but also because White’s non-stop motor has rubbed off on countless teammates.

“When he got out there,” Kanellis said, “our entire defense changed. Everybody was more aggressive, and everybody seemed to be having more fun.”

Schools have noticed the impact.

'He will be such an important part of any team that he goes to'

White already has offers from two in-state schools: Simpson College in Indianola (Division III) and Dordt College in Sioux Center (NAIA). The Regina senior also made a gameday visit last week to Division II Southwest Minnesota State, and he's on Drake’s radar as well, having visited the Bulldogs for their junior day and spring game.

White, though, isn’t going to rush a decision. He knows more recruiting momentum could likely materialize as the season carries on. No need to stress right now.

Regina's Cole White heads back onto the field during practice on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (Photo: David Scrivner/Iowa City Press-Citizen)

Although his production speaks for itself, White knows his height and size will be a potential hang-up with larger schools. He isn’t fretting. No use worrying about things that can’t be changed.

It’s makes finding motivation rather easy.

“Cole, just in everything he does, he has a chip on his shoulder,” Kanellis said. “He warms up with a chip on his shoulder. He gets a drink of water with a chip on his shoulder. He’s comes to every practice like he’s pissed off trying to prove something.”

That’s why, despite any measurement shortcomings in the eyes of recruiters, Kanellis knows White will be a valued commodity wherever he goes.

“The cool thing with Cole is that when you talk to the people who are recruiting him, you can say with 100 percent confidence that he’ll make their team better,” said Kanellis, a former Hawkeye defensive lineman himself. “He will be such an important part of any team that he goes to.”

Just as he’s been at Regina.

Dargan Southard covers preps, recruiting, Iowa and UNI athletics for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.